Ramming device for ramming a round of ammunition



April 1962 c. M. CHRISTIANSSON 3,029,707

RAMMING DEVICE FOR RAMMING A ROUND OF AMMUNITION Filed June 19. 1958 l2 v Z4 FIG 3 /3' W n\\\\\\\\\\\\ 5 6 in /7 ix P I 2 3 4 INVENTOR.

04m MAUR/TZ CHRISW/WSSON Ar-r-aeusrs nited I Sat L;

Filed June 19, 1.958, Ser. No. 743,095 Claims priority, application Sweden June 20, 1957 6 Claims. (Cl. 89-47) The present invention relates to a ramming device for ramminga round of ammunition from the ramming position into the breech chamber of a gun barrel, especially into the breech chamber of an automatic recoiling gun.

Ramming devices of the kind above referred to, generally comprise a rammer lug which when accelerated presses against the base flange of the cartridge casing of a round thereby ramming the round home.

There are known ramming devices of this kind in which the required force is imparted to the ramming lug by means of one or several helical springs. As the force required is comparatively great androunds of heavy caliber must be moved through a rather long distance from the ramming position to the position in the chamber, the required spring or springs become very heavy andbulky. The spring or springs must obviously be located adjacent to the rammer and as a result it is difiicult to accommodate the springs in the available usually crowded space. I

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel andimprovide ramming device of the general kind above referred to, which eliminates the need for mechanical springs and thus the disadvantage inherent in the use of such springs.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic force as force for moving the rammer. Such an arrangement affords the advantage that the power supply for the hydraulic system can be located in any convenient position remote from the rammer proper.

Another problem encountered in the design of ramming devices of the general kind above referred to, is the requirement to provide emergency brakes to brake or slow. the rammer movement in the event that the rammer is accidentally released from its cocked position without a round being in the ramming position. It is known to provide spring butters as emergency brakes. The provision of buffers further complicates the prob lem of accommodating all the required components in the available space.

Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to provide the required emergency braking force without the use of additional buffers.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to utilize the hydraulic system to slow the rammer automatically in the absence of a round in the ramming position.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved ramming device in which the force exerted by the hydraulic systemupon the rammer is automatically reduced when theabsence of a round is detected by detecting means included in the device.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims forming part of the application.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ramming device ac? cording to the invention,

3,029,77 Patented Apr. 17, 1962 Referring now to the figures in detail, the exemplified ramming device comprises a rammer lug 1 which is mounted on a rod 2 which in turn is secured to a plunger 4. The plunger assembly just described is slidable within a cylinder 3 which communicates through a duct 6 with a closed container 5. This container contains a pliable closed inner container such as a rubber bladder 7 filled with air or another gaseous medium. The remaining space in container 5, duct '6 and cylinder 3 communicating with duct 6, isfilled with a suitable liquid such as oil.

The free end of rod 2 mounts two rollers 'S guided in longitudinal grooves 9 formed in a suitable fixed part of the ramming device, only one roller 8 being shown. Rod 2 further supports a lug 10 which coacts with a catch 11 supported on a lever 12 which is pivotal about a pivot 13 secured-to a protrusion on cylinder 3. Lever 12 is secured against turning in clockwise direction, as shown, by a catch 14 seated on a pivotal shaft 14'. Catch 11 is pivotal in clockwise direction relative to lever 12 and is mounted for this purpose in the lever by means of a pivot 15. A portion of catch 11 protrudes from lever 12 and abuts against the top thereof to prevent clockwise turning-of the catch beyond the position shown. Suitable means such as a spring (not shown) resiliently restrain the catch from pivoting into the opposite direction.

The rammer lug 1 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as abutting against the base flange of the cartridge casing of a round 16 to be rammed.

The remaining device as heretofore described operates as follows:

Let it be assumed that plunger 4 is in the position shown and the air bladder 7 is hence strongly compressed.

"by release means suitable for such purpose.

The resulting pressure exerted upon the oil in the cylinder urges plunger 4- towards the left as shown in FIG. 2. However, the plunger and with it rammer lug 1 are retained in the illustrated position by catch 11 unless and until catch 14 releases lever 12. Let it be assumed now that catch 14 is turned out of engagement with lever 12 Then the pressure acting upon plunger 4 will rapidly accelerate round 16 toward its rammed-home position.

During the recoil movement of the gun barrel the ramming device may be cooked by causing a recoiling part of the gun to engage plunger 4, or one of the parts directly associated therewith thus forcing the plunger toward the right as shown in FIG. 2. Cooking means suitable for the purpose are well known in the ant and do not constitute part of the invention; they may be readily visualized as a component exerting pressure on rod 2 during the recoil movement. As a result of the displacement of pluuger 4 toward the right, air pressure is again built up in bladder 7 which is transmitted to the oil acting upon plunger 4. Lug 10 can pass catch 11 by turning the latter out of its way even though lever 12 may have resumed the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the meantime. However, as soon as lug 10 reaches the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, movement of plunger 4 towards the left is again restrained by catch 11 until lever '12 is released.

As previously mentioned, the invention further provides safety means for slowing the rate of acceleration of the rammer lug in the event that no round is in the ramming position. The arrangement and function of the safety means will now be discussed in connection with FIG. 3 in which the ramming position is shown to be vacant.

The safety means comprises detecting means in the form of a probe or feeler member 17 which is pivoted at 17' to a suitable fixed part of the ramming device. Probe 17 is engaged by a roller 19 on one arm of bellcrank lever 18 pivotal about a pivot point 18 secured to a suitable fixed part of the ramming device. The other arm of lever 18 is pivoted to one end of a link 21, the other end of which is pivoted to a link 22. The free end of link 22 is secured to a pivot 23 which also seats a valve flap member 24 in duct 6. A tension spring 20 seeks to turn lever 18 in clockwise direction. As is evident, turning of lever 18 in that direction will cause valve flap 24 to turn from the position of FIG. 2 into the position of FIG. 3. In the position of the flap according to FIG. 2, duct 6 is fully open and in the position according to FIG. 3 the duct is fully closed except for the flow of oil through a bleed hole 25 preferably provided in valve flap 24. The links and the valve flap constituting a check means for controlling the flow of fluid through duct 6.

When, as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a round is in the ramming position, the cartridge casing of the round re strains probe 17 in the illustrated position against the pressure of roller 19 so that the safety means remains ineffective. However when, as is shown in FIG. 3, the ramming position is vacant, spring 20 will turn the entire linkage system from the position of FIG. 2 into the posi tion of FIG. 3. As a result, the air pressure in bladder 7 can act upon the oil through bleed hole 25 only whereby the plunger and with it rammer lug 1 will be moved comparatively slowly if lever 12 is released in spite of the absence of a round. This arrangement eliminates completely or nearly so the need for buffers to brake the movement of the rammer lug.

In the event that the rammer lug has completed its ramming movement and such movement is not followed by a recoil movement, the ramming device can be cooked by draining the oil from the hydraulic system by means of a suitable drain cock (not shown). The plunger and with it the rammer lug can then be moved by hand into the position shown in the figures and subsequently refilling of the hydraulic system with oil will again ready the ramming device for operation.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A ramming device for ramming a round of ammunition from a ramming position, said device comprising a slidable rammer engageable with a round to be rammed, hydraulic pressure means drivingly connected with said rammer for accelerating the latter from the ramming position, said hydraulic pressure means including a pressure cylinder, a plunger and a plunger rod jointly slidable in said cylinder, said rod mounting the rammer, a closed container containing liquid and a gaseous medium yieldably acting upon said liquid, a conduit connecting said container with said cylinder for displacing the plunger in the latte-r by said liquid under pressure, and means for compressing the gaseous medium in the container, the pressure of said medium being transmitted to the liquid, releasable locking means for retaining the rammer in the ramming position against the action of said pressure means, and safety means including detecting means for probing the presence of a round in the ramming position and check means operated by said detecting means in response to the detection of the absence of a round in the ramming position, said check means when operated throttling the flow of liquid under pressure through said conduit thereby reducing the acceleration action of said pressure means.

2. A ramming device according to claim 1, wherein said container includes a pliable bladder filled with the gaseous medium, the remaining space in said container containing said liquid.

3. A ramming device for ramming a round of ammunition from a ramming position, said device comprising a slidable rammer engageable with a round to be rammed, hydraulic pressure means drivingly connected with said rammer for accelerating the latter from the ramming position, releasable locking means for retaining the rammer in the ramming position against the action of said hydraulic pressure means, and safety means including detecting means for probing the presence of a round in the ramming position, and check means controlled by said detecting means and rendering said hydraulic pressure means inefiective to accelerate a round for ramming in response to the detection of the absence of a round in the ramming position by the detecting means.

4. A ramming device according to claim 3, wherein said check means comprise check valve means interposed in the connection between said hydraulic pressure means and said rammer, said valve means being substantially closed by said detecting means to render the hydraulic pressure means less efiective when the ramming position for the round is vacant.

5. A ramming device according to claim 4, wherein said detecting means comprise a movable probe member biased to protrude into the space occupied by a round in the ramming position, and linkage means connected to said probe member and said valve means to move the latter into a position substantially reducing the pressure action of said pressure means upon movement of the probe member into space occupied by a round in the ramming position.

6. A ramming device according to claim 4 wherein said valve means comprise a valve member disposed in the connection between the pressure means and the rammer, and movable into a position closing said connection for the flow of pressure fluid, said valve member having a bleed hole providing for a limited flow of pressure fluid through the connection in the closed position of the valve member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,351,141 Thompson Aug. 31, 1920 1,629,683 Dabrasky May 24, 1927 2,261,194 Vickers Nov. 4, 1941 2,407,692 Vickers Sept. 17, 1946 2,420,666 Joy et al May 20, 1947 

